Resume

KATHERINE MESTOUSIS

k.mestousis@gmail.com | www.linkedin.com/in/kmestousis

Communications & Public Relations	Project Management
Government Affairs	Writing, Research & Editing
Strategic Planning	Development & Grant Writing
International Relations	Media, Stakeholder & Vendor Relations
Program Planning & Execution	Social Media Campaigns

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Allies in Hope (AIH). June ’22 – Present
Director of Advancement
Oversaw all marketing, communications and development initiatives including media relations, social media, volunteer activities, grant development, and more.

Developed a comprehensive marketing plan designed to promote AIH goals and build client engagement.
Managed and developed all marketing and communications for our inaugural Hope for Houston Ball fundraising gala which hosted more than 200 guests and raised more than $150,000 for AIH.
Managed media relations to promote AIH goals, programs and services.
Drove annual fundraising initiatives in an effort to expand donor relations and to reach annual goal of $3M.
Served as project manager and writer on multiple grant proposals. Includes writing, submitting, tracking grants, managing timelines, ensuring accurate proposal content, and maintaining records.

Harris County, Universal Services Department. July ’22 – June ’23
Communications Manager
Led the Communications Division of Universal Services, which provides technology and fleet support to all other County departments. Served as strategist, advisor, and storyteller in developing and executing internal and external communications.

Crafted marketing and social media plan for Harris County 3-1-1 launch, which serves the approximately 4.7 million people who reside in the county.
Advanced media relations efforts by establishing relationships with media outlets, developing strategic marketing plans, and handling public relations issues that arise internally and/or externally.
Developed the department’s social media plan including a monthly calendar and a post-tracking system in an effort to grow following and engagement.
Developed plans and led Crisis Communications initiatives as required.
Served as staff photographer shooting multiple events with up to approximately 200 people in attendance.

University of Houston-Clear Lake. Nov ’21 – July ’22
Marketing Manager
Managed multi-channel marketing and communication projects including strategy, timeline, and budget.

Coordinated with clients and stakeholders to develop project scope (costs, benefits, risk, and schedule) and communicated project status to the executive team while providing direction and support to the marketing team of 11 staffers.
Developed 70+ marketing project plans including assets, approvals, and final delivery while managing day-to-day development and coordination with internal / external teams, and vendors.
Performed risk assessment analysis to ensure timely project delivery. Based on the assessment, worked to develop project execution plan including work breakdown structure and project schedule.

Indorama Ventures. Apr ’21 – Nov ’21
Regional Communications Lead, SAP Project
Oversaw change management communications in the Americas region (US, Mexico, Canada) for the global implementation of SAP software while working with a diverse international team located around the world.

Developed the change management communications and content marketing strategy in 3 countries.
Drove key activities such as change readiness and impact assessments, and surveys; as well as messaging, and toolkits catered to internal teams and end-users.
Oversaw logistics for stakeholder engagement events such as virtual townhalls and group connects with up to 800 people in attendance from countries around the world.

CBRE, Inc. Nov ’18 – Nov ’20
Sr. Marketing Specialist
Served as the project manager and proposal writer supporting sales and new business development ($5.75 billion in transactions in 2020; 1,223 employees).

Composed marketing, proposals, presentations, and RFP content for government / educational intuitions, private corporations, and others. This totaled approximately 100 pieces annually.
Served as the interim Marketing Manager assigning projects and leading a team of 6 during the absence of the department manager.

City of Houston, Houston Health Department. Oct ’16 – Nov ’18
Marketing Lead and Media Representative
Managed the $2.5 million Project PrIDE marketing campaign, a 3-year Centers for Disease Control (CDC) funded grant project addressing HIV prevention, serving People of Color and the LGBTQA communities.

Developed an interim campaign to fulfill CDC grant obligations until Mayoral approval was received to solicit the services of a marketing firm to then create the full-scale, “Houston I am Life” campaign.
Served as Project Manager during the 1.5-year Request for Proposal (RFP) process, which included: RFP development; and coordinating with the Mayor’s Office to expedite vendor contracts.
Monitored ad performance and analyzed data from 35+ media outlets, with a total reach of 65+ million.
Created more than 15 graphic design projects, resulting in the production of more than 30,000 collateral pieces (i.e. brochures, mailers, palm cards, etc.).

City of Houston, Houston Public Works (HPW). Mar ’13 – Oct ’16
Communications Specialist
Served as the communications lead for the Department / Directors Office, ReBuild Houston, and the Houston Bikeways Program (4000 employees | 627 square miles | $2B budget) | 4th largest city in the US).

Pitched, implemented, and managed a multi-site, strategic plan for social media activities for the Houston Public Works with a combined following of 13,000+.
Coordinated outreach and programming sessions for the Small Contractor Rotation Program (SCRP) and its 6 participating financial institutions. The program is a two-year program focused on capacity building and assistance to Minority, Women & Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (M/W/DBE), and the goal is to assist in the transition of M/W/DBE from sub-contractors to prime contractors.
Represented HPW at community meetings and served as the point of contact at the Super Neighborhoods Alliance meetings for the 85 Super Neighborhood Councils within Houston.
Served as Project Manager of a monthly Mayor’s Office report detailing 10 – 20 new community engagement activities each month. The report required leading a team of 8 within multiple divisions.

American Festival for the Arts (AFA). Sept ’12 – Feb ‘13
Associate Director of Marketing
Led marketing and communications efforts including brand management, media relations, and social media.

Served as web project manager and content contributor to the AFA social media campaign resulting in increased following and engagement among the approximately 4,600 followers.
Crafted WACK (Washington Avenue Cares about Kids) fundraising campaign resulting in greater community engagement between more than 90 area businesses/organizations and AFA.

Midtown Management District (MMD). Aug ‘09 – Sept ‘12
Marketing & Social Media Specialist
Developed public relations and community engagement programs for Midtown property owners and visitors.

Managed the $15,000 website redesign including strategy, content writing and vendor management.
Pitched, developed, and managed the MMD social media campaign which has grown to 22,000+ followers across multiple sites including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the WordPress blog.
Produced multiple community engagement and outreach events with up to 5,000 guests.

EDUCATION

University of St. Thomas. Houston TX. Graduation May ‘19
Master in Liberal Arts – Concentration in International Studies.

University of Houston. Houston TX. Graduated Dec ‘11
Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Relations & Advertising specialization); Minor in Art History.

CERTIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Certified Professional Mediator – Basic Mediation (2018)
22 hrs. of accredited Project Management Professional (PMP) coursework (2017)
Digital Communications Certification Program – Adobe Creative Suite (2015)

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

United Nations Associations (Houston Chapter), Board Member 2017 – 2019
Society of International Development 2017 – 2018

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

United Nations Association (Houston Chapter) Board Member – 2018-2019
Recipient of study abroad scholarship to study in Taiwan in 2018 while working on Masters program in International Studies.
Extensive solo and group travel experience throughout Taiwan, France, Germany, Panama, Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Italy, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and more.
Lived abroad in Chios, Greece for approximately 5 years.
Lived in Europe for approximately 3.5 months traveling to multiple countries.
Participated in a German exchange program in Hanover, Germany during undergraduate studies.